Crusnik 003 Codename:Rista
by SilverDeathAngel
Summary: Rista is one of three Crusniks created by the Vatican to be a super eradicator of the vampires. But once stolen away, heart and soul by the very things she's been created to destroy, where will her loyalties lie? OCxOC. Rated M. Please, R&R!
1. Chapter 1

_Post-Apocalyptic Earth. Ever since the war that destroyed a way of life and sent governments crumbling into dust, people have warred to regain some control. And this is also true of a city which held great power before the war. Vatican City still stands, a monument to more peaceful times. _

_But even within its walls, there is precious little peace to be found. _

_A new race, the vampires have come to light. They seek to destroy the last true hold of power, and control the remains of earth for themselves. _

_And so, the Vatican took matters into their own hands, creating a handful of soldiers who could fight, and kill, without being truly able to die themselves. _

_The Crusnik._

_However, the vampires found out about the Crusnik, and in a bold bid to have such a fighter on their side, crept into the very hold of their enemies and stole one of their prized warriors. _

_A young girl, on the cusp of womanhood, a Crusnik, but just as human in her terror and hatred of vampires. _

_And so, she made a bid for escape, determined to find her way back to the only man she knows as her father-- Abel Nightroad. _

_But the vampires will not let her get away so easily. And that is where our story begins. _

Rain was pouring down as Rista tried to keep her balance on the wet pavement. Her slippers were no good for traction, and her small nightgown was no protection against the downpour.

But they were gaining on her.

She gasped at the cold, wet air as she fought back terror. If they caught her, as they had the last time she'd run, they would beat her, or do something worse. She frowned as she tried to focus on the soft sound of her house shoes on the blacktop through the pounding of the pulse, but she couldn't. Yet somehow, she was able to pick up the cries that came from behind her.

"She went this way! Hurry, she can't get far!"

Her breath caught on a little sob, and she threw herself behind the welcoming wall of a nearby building. It had a small overhang, which cut the rain falling on her to just a few drops, but she was already shivering and soaked to the bone. She felt tears welling in her eyes, but blinked them furiously away. She had no time to cry now, she had to come up with somewhere to go, a place to hide…

"Hello, pretty."

She gasped as a lone vampire rounded the opposite corner of the building. He was taller than her by a few inches, and easily outweighed her by twenty pounds or more. She had no chance against him, nor any of his mates, if they caught up to her. Unless…

She had never activated her Crusnik program before, but she knew the power and knowledge was there. And at this moment, escape and anger warred and won over fear.

"Activate Crusnik 003. Operating at 40%."

Her hair seemed to blow in an invisible wind, and her eyes bled slowly from dark blue to deep, blood red. Her fangs lengthened to almost match her opponents, and she hissed at him.

The vampire gasped, eyes wide and disbelieving. He back up a couple of steps, hands held up in front of him as if to ward her off. She simply smiled and stepped toward him. And suddenly, she had him in her arms, his begging like music to her ears.

Her fangs broke his skin easily, and she drank hungrily of the salty, tainted blood. As she felt his heart stop, she tore herself away from him, rose her face to the dark clouds above and howled. It was a cry of pain, of longing, a cry for mercy for taking another life, even if it was that of a vampire and her enemy.

But the night remained silent save for the whisper of the rain, now calmed a little, and no whispering wind gave her the solace of forgiveness. So, she rose, leaving the battered body behind for his fellows to find, and headed away.


	2. Chapter 2

"Rush, come closer."

The young vampire stepped further into the utter blackness of his uncle's library. The rain still fell gently outside, a sound that comforted Rush slightly. It was natural, something that occurred with the meeting of elements. It was something utterly foreign to him. He was not natural.

He shook these thoughts away and focused on his uncle. He could make out the shape of the huge, leather chair his uncle loved so, but it was turned to the window, away from him, hiding the old man from view.

"The Crusnik has escaped. I want you to go and capture it. No doubt it will be headed back to Rome… Back to the Vatican. I need you to retrieve it before it gets there… We need it on our side, no matter what, nor how we get it to cooperate."

Rush felt a stab of anger at how his uncle referred to the Crusnik. True, it had been created, and thus was just as unnatural as he, or his uncle, or the two trusted guards outside the library door.

But it didn't look unnatural. It was a girl, a created being but with feelings nonetheless. And he hated the way his uncle referred to the girl as an 'it'. But he had no control over the leader of his clan, until the time his uncle was killed or stepped down.

Only one thought came to mind when he realized that this was an assignment.

"Uncle, why me? I'm sure that there are several others fit for this assignment."

The chair spun slowly around, and he could now see the faint outline of his uncle's bulk, slightly lighter than the shadow of the chair. His uncle's eyes gleamed yellow in the dark, a sure sign of discontent. But at what-- losing the Crusnik, or his nephew's questioning of his orders?

Rush waited until his uncle answered. "You are young, I'll admit. But you are my sister's son. I brought you here after her death, made you what you are today, and you must be loyal to me! I'm sending you on this mission because I trust you. And you ask me why?"

Rush knew his uncle was angry, but he also realized that he was expendable. His uncle had never really liked his sister, if rumors Rush had heard were true. And so, he was sending his nephew after the Crusnik, no because he trusted him, at least not fully, but because, deep down inside, he was afraid of Rush. Rush was younger, less experienced, but stronger, and would one day be the leader of the clan. And it was possible that the old man was afraid of that time. What better way to get rid of his biggest rival, at least in his own mind, than to send him after the Crusnik, who could easily kill him? Then, disposal of the Crusnik, if not able to turn her loyalty, would mean that two of his biggest threats would be of no more consequence. And other rogue vampires would pose no threat to a man who ruled such a big clan.

But Rush really had no choice. If he disagreed, his uncle could easily destroy him, or have one of his guards to the deed, if he had no desire to get his own hands dirty. So Rush nodded in agreement, and the eerie yellow glow of his uncle's eyes faded.

"Very good, Rush. I have a good idea of where to start looking for her. There are only a handful of trains leaving this city in the next week, and only one airship. Finding the Crusnik shouldn't be too difficult."

Rush nodded again, then turned and walked back to the library door. His hand was on the knob, about to open the solid wood to the light in the hallway, when his uncle spoke again, softly and only for Rush's ears.

"Do not fail me, Rush. Family or no, the Crusnik is worth more to me than your life."

Only confirming what Rush had already realized, he nodded once, curtly, then opened the door and stepped out between the guards, stamping down the urge to slam the door, if only to annoy his uncle, and shut it again with a quiet, almost threatening, click.


	3. Chapter 3

The Vatican was in an uproar. Abel, who had woken late after a long night of reading, stepped into the hallway outside his room and was almost run down by a couple of young students at the Vatican's school. They changed direction at the last moment, rushing past him, leaving him backed up to the wall. The one slightly behind turned quickly, shooting him an apologetic grin and waved.

"Sorry, Father Nightroad!"

Abel, curious as to why two first year students were running at top speed down the corridor of the Priests Hallway, decided to follow them, at a slightly slower pace. As he rounded the end of the hallway, another group of about six ran past, this one a mix of girls and boys. Abel frowned. Students were expressly forbidden from this part of the Vatican, and to see them running… Well, now he was concerned. Was it possible that something bad had happened during the night?

He picked up his face until he was almost running. Then, as he rounded yet another corner, and emerged through one of the endless doors to the outside gardens, he skidded to a stop, almost running into a huge gathering of students, almost the entire group that attended the Vatican School. Catharina stood in their midst.

Fearing something had happened to her or one of her brothers, he pushed through the tangle of humanity until he reached her side. What he saw sickened him. A body lay at her feet, mangled and obviously drained of blood. Its face was twisted grotesquely on its neck, until the sightless eyes faced the sky. Its mouth was open in an immortal snarl, its fangs obvious. There was a note attached to the dead things jacket. Ignoring the sight, Abel focused singly on the note and reached down to rip it off. Straightening to his feet, he read it swiftly.

_Your Crusnik did this to my brother. You shall pay dearly for the injustice served here. The Crusnik who committed this deed will be your downfall. I shall watch as she pays you back by draining your life away, and then I shall have the privilege of killing her myself. Death to the Vatican, death to all humans and Crusnik alike._

Abel scoffed. Rista was a Crusnik, it was true, but she was far too young to commit such a gristly act. Besides, for her to drain a body this way and for it to be left on the very heart of the Vatican, meant she would have to be very close by. And vampires would not be this close. No, the Vatican was not a hiding place for vampires, no matter what the evidence suggested.

But one thing was sure, as Abel turned to Catharina. Rista had to be found, and soon. It was obvious that the vampires were planning on using her as a tool against the Vatican, and while she was a young Crusnik, it was possible to reprogram her, so that she would serve the vampires. Abel didn't want that to happen, and so, he supposed it was up to him to tread into the heart of the vipers pit and rescue a little girl that he though of as his daughter.

He wrapped an arm protectively around Catharina, and steered her through the students, who parted in deference to her status. Abel made a quick motioning gesture, upward, and after a few moments, guards descended, herding the students away, and quickly and efficiently cleaning up the mess.


	4. Chapter 4

Rista was tired and hurt, both inside and out, as the sun rose on his small body huddled under the welcoming, sheltering branches of a huge willow. It was here that she'd found herself, after countless hours of wandering, trying to put the memory of the bloody murder out of her mind. After a while, it had seemed all like a bad dream, or as if she had been a horrified bystander. Yet somewhere deep inside, she knew that what had been done, _she _had done.

And it frightened her. But, as the sun rose slowly, majestically over the horizon, she knew she was safe, as long as the huge ball of fire shone over the earth. Vampires hid from the daylight, but if the myth about them dying in sunlight was true, or if they just took no chances on old myths, she didn't know.

But she was cold, wet, and hungry, she knew that much. And a small nightgown and one slipper-- she'd lost one in her mindless walking-- were no cover for a girl her size.

A sudden rumbling had her startled. After a moment of blind panic, she recalled that the willow was set back not too far from a road. In reality, it was just a simple rut, which farmers around for miles used to get to the nearest town. Sighing, she supposed that she would have to ask for help. Standing on her own proved a great struggle, as both her feet were asleep, and the stinging of pins and needles in them almost made her cry. But she needed help more than she needed tears, and so she made herself walk out from under the greenery and stand beside the road, waiting for the vehicle she could clearly hear, rumbling up over the small hill.

As the cart crested the hill, she was again frightened by the sight of two huge oxen. She'd never seen such creatures before, and it was easy to see that they could easily trample her if they were so inclined. But her stomach rumbled, and she planted her feet, determined. As the driver of the huge wagon spotted her, his mouth fell open and he pulled hard on the reins, making the oxen come to a slow halt.

Rista approached him carefully, poised for flight of he should show any signs of hurting her. But to the cart driver, a man in middle age, with six children of his own, she was a tiny thing, obviously older than she looked, with badly matted waist-length sandy hair and dark blue eyes. Concern pricked him, and he moved carefully, seeing that she was almost like a startled deer, ready to run at the slightest thing that scared her.

"Hi. Are you ok?"

Rista liked his voice immediately, and so she nodded.

"Are you alone? Where are your parents?"

Tears welled in the sky eyes, making the driver feel bad. He held out one large hand, but slowly.

"C'mon, I'll help you up. What say you to a hot meal and some new clothes?"

Timid as she was, Rista knew she would get nowhere without the basics, and this man was offering everything she needed at the moment. She had no idea how far she was from Rome, from her home, but it must be miles and miles… She felt like crying again, but blinked angrily at the tears. Crying wouldn't help anything, and so she reached out and let the cart driver pull her up onto the seat next to him. He turned the cart around with some difficulty, and headed back the way he came. Home was only a few miles away, maybe an hours worth of travel, and this girl obviously was alone and in need of help.

Rista studied the countryside as the cart moved slowly past, pulled by the huge oxen. After a while, the swaying of the wagon seemed to lull her, and she snuggled up to the driver, who was dry and warm, and soon she was asleep. Shaking his head at the small girl, he reached down to his feet and pulled up a blanket, which he put over her. She pulled it tight around her, curled into a fetal position and slept on.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N-- I apologize for this short chapter, but… Meh, what can I say?! Anyway, keep a lookout, cuz the chapter will be a bit longer to make up for this one. LaterZ!!**

Rush slept the day away in his own room, with the heavy blackout curtains drawn and the room as black as a tomb. It was an apt analogy, but one that never failed to make him a little sad. He would never have a tomb, an eternal place of rest for his soul, but had to live in one every day.

As he slept, his mind worked overtime, making him dream and analize where his intended target might be. She had escaped from a stronghold of his uncle's just a few miles to the south. Rome was a world, and days, away. He grinned, a quick flash of white, in his sleep as his mind handed him back hi uncle's words. Only a handful of trains and one airship were leaving from a hundred mile radius within the next few weeks, and by then, he would have tracked her down and brought her back-- the ultimate warrior, the one who would help the vampires fight the Vatican until it came tumbling down.

It never occurred to him that the Vatican might send another Crusnik after the one that had been kidnapped.

~*~*~*~

"Abel, you must find Rista."

Abel nodded slowly, listening with only half his attention. The other half was trying to work out how the dead vampire had wound up practically on the Vatican's front steps, with no one seeing anything. True, it had been left in the middle of the night, but still, there were guards posted at all times. And the note… Obviously another vampire had left the body, if the crumpled paper was anything to go by, but what about the fact that someone thought Rista had done the killing? Abel had been almost sick with worry about the girl since she'd vanished only a couple of weeks before. She'd obviously been taken by vampires, if the swift and stealthy shadows the guards had reported in the middle of the night had been any indication, but by the time anyone had managed to get to the small dormitory where Rista and a few other young girls stayed, Rista had been gone.

Abel frowned, trying to figure out where the vampires could have taken her. It only circled his mind a couple of times before he came back to the same conclusion he'd had all along. They hadn't gone far, but far enough away from Rome that it wouldn't be easy to find the young Crusnik. Abel's frown deepened even more. It was obvious that the vampires had plans for Rista, but why tell the Vatican in a note? It was obvious to Abel, though, that the vampires planned to reprogram Rista if at all possible and use her as a weapon against those who had made her. It was probably a bid for power, and Abel felt a sir of unease. Rista had never tapped her full Crusnik power, and if she were stronger than Abel, what kind of havoc might she wreak on the Vatican and the world if no one was able to stop her?


End file.
